Distance: 25.1kms Steps: 34,540 Time: 8 hrs including food stops.

Woke up 6am and there was a choir of some sort down below in the street. A group of people playing trumpets & singing. We packed up and headed out the main door one last time. That door is so TALL I have never seen anything like it & still can’t get over the size & thickness of it – you need two hands to pull it open it is so heavy!

Right, moving on from the DOOR, we made our way out of the city following the Camino shells on the ground as the sun slowly started to come up. We dropped by a cafe for a quick breakfast where I tried ordering to a Spanish lady behind the counter. Needless to say my Spanish still needs improving, instead of 2 espresso coffees for Mr D, we got 1 double espresso coffee. Close enough….

We were heading up to the Alto del Perdon at 750m height. Mr D was moving fast today & took off like a rocket up the hill. I meanwhile stopped for a tempting hot chocolate drink & crossiant. The crossiants here are so fresh & delicious, you just eat them on their own without butter & jam. This one was no exception. It was the best crossiant I had tasted in Spain!

 

The day was very overcast & cold. The slightest drizzle of rain would come & stop. Then come again. Nothing that our umbrellas couldn’t handle. At the top we took our customary selfies & photos of each other by the wrought iron statutes  of medieval Pilgrims.

Once again Mr D shot off down the hill leaving me behind. The descent was steep, slippery & lined with rocks & stones, so I carefully made my descent & when I finally found Mr D, he said “I knew you would be alright”. True it is, company would of been nice!

We stopped at a lovely village called Uterga where there was a lovely alfresco area in front of a cafe with a smorgasbord menu of food. Mr D had a shrimp & salad & Ms Piggy here had a WHOPPING Hamburger with chips – yum! And of course – plain bread rolls. Spain is smitten by their bread rolls & I can only visualise a Spanish person going to the kitchen for a midnight snack, & feasting on dry plain bread rolls, no butter, no jam….

Onwards we pressed towards our destination, Mr D taking the lead once again. Perhaps I was slower as still not 100% or perhaps Mr D had roller skate wheels on the bottom of his boots. I caught up just as we arrived in Puente la Reina & I let Mr D choose our bed for the night. We stay in another hotel room with our own double bed & bathroom for a bit extra than the Albergues down the road.

The place is so sweet, I just love the maze of narrow laneways & cute little balconies 3 storeys up all the way along. Mr D brought a bottle of red to drink in our room. He thoughtfully cut his water bottle & made a cup for me while he drank from the one glass in the room. Nice…..

I had to treat one small blister today – should of worn my sock liners! Mr D struggled again at the end of hot feet & decided 25kms is too much for him, he was feeling fed up & weary, his leg muscles sore & aching.

We had Camino magic once again for dinner. As who should be waiting in the bar when we went downstairs, but our lovely German friends Jo & Sigrid. Not only they happen to chose the same accommodation but are in the next room to us! Sigrid mentioned some pain along her foot so they were staying back tomorrow so she could sort it out. We didn’t know how long the problem would delay them, & when we would see them again. We ate too much fine food, now we are tired & full – time for sleep!